The following is a list of notable persons (students, alumni, faculty or academic affiliates) associated with San José State University, located in the American city of San Jose, California.
Notable alumni
Academia Bettina Aptheker (M.A. 1976) — author, professor, political activist Marshall Drummond (B.S. 1964, M.B.A. 1969) — former chancellor, California Community College System Harry Edwards (B.A. 1964) — professor emeritus of Sociology, University of California, Berkeley; author of The Revolt of the Black Athlete Terry Erwin (B.A. 1964, M.A. 1966) — entomologist, Smithsonian Institution Lawrence H. Keeley (B.A. 1970) — archaeologist; professor, University of Illinois Chicago; author of War Before Civilization Mary E. Lyons (M.A. 1976) — president, University of San Diego Sidney Siegel (B.A. 1951) — psychologist and economist, known for the Siegel–Tukey test and considered a founding father of experimental economics Henry Suzzallo (Dip.Ed. 1894) — former president, University of Washington Jennifer Wilby (M.S. 1992) — director of the Centre for Systems Studies, University of Hull Hamza Yusuf (B.A. 1997) — Islamic scholar
Artists and musicians Amber Aguirre (M.A. 1990, M.L.I.S. 1996) — ceramic sculptor Bernd Behr (attended 1995–98) — artist Mary Blair (B.F.A. 1931) — artist and illustrator who helped create Disney's Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953) Lindsey Buckingham (attended 1968–70) — musician best known for Fleetwood Mac Doug Clifford — rock drummer best known for his work as a founding member of Creedence Clearwater Revival Stu Cook — bass guitarist best known for his work with Creedence Clearwater Revival (attended SJSU, but did not graduate) Binh Danh (B.F.A. 2002) —photographer noted for chlorophyll leaf prints and dauggerotypes of National Parks Irene Dalis (B.A. 1946) — New York Metropolitan Opera star and founder of Opera San Jose Allan Graham (attended 1965) — visual artist Robert Graham (attended 1961–63) — internationally acclaimed sculptor whose work includes the Olympic Gateway in Los Angeles PJ Hirabayashi (M.U.P. 1977)— co-founder of San Jose Taiko, recipient of National Heritage Fellowship Roy Hirabayashi — co-founder of San Jose Taiko, recipient of National Heritage Fellowship Shinichi Ishizuka — manga artist Tom Johnston — rock guitarist and vocalist best known for his work as a founding member of The Doobie Brothers Paul Kantner — rock guitarist best known for his work as a founding member of Jefferson Airplane Titus Kaphar (B.F.A. 2001) — contemporary painter and 2018 MacArthur Fellows Program Genius Award recipient David Kuraoka (B.A. 1970, M.A. 1971) — ceramic artist Peter Wayne Lewis (M.A. 1979) — Jamaican-American contemporary artist known for his large-scale abstract paintings Sal Maccarone (B.F.A. 1972) — nationally acclaimed woodworker and sculptor whose work includes The Spirit of Tenaya in Yosemite National Park Bryan "Brain" Mantia (A.M. 1985) — drummer, Primus, Guns N' Roses, Tom Waits, Buckethead Ann Millikan (B.A. 1986) — musician and composer Stevie Nicks (attended 1968–70) — musician best known for Fleetwood Mac
Larry Norman (attended 1965) — Christian rock musician, singer and songwriter; founding member of the '60s rock band People! Fred H. Roster (M.A. 1968) — sculptor Na Omi Judy Shintani (B.S. 1980) — artist known for works about Japanese internment during WWII; CAAIAF 2023 Patrick Simmons — rock guitarist and vocalist best known for his work as a founding member of The Doobie Brothers Gordon Smedt (attended 1982–84) — pop artist and painter Wayne Thiebaud (attended 1949–50) — painter Cal Tjader (attended 1946) — Grammy Award-winning jazz musician Michael Whelan (B.A. 1973) — artist and illustrator specializing in imaginative realism; Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductee
Authors Lorna Dee Cervantes (B.A. 1984) — poet, Pulitzer Prize nominee William J. Craddock (1967) — novelist, author of Be Not Content and Twilight Candelabra Carmen Giménez Smith (B.A.) — poet, American Book Award winner James D. Houston (B.A. 1965) — co-author of Farewell to Manzanar; author of Continental Drift, Snow Mountain Passage, and others; Lurie Distinguished Visiting professor of Creative Writing at SJSU in Spring 2006 Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston (B.A. 1956) — co-author of Farewell to Manzanar Jayne Ann Krentz (M.A. 1971) — New York Times bestselling author Ella Leffland (B.A. 1953) — novelist (Rumors of Peace) and short story writer (Last Courtesies and Other Stories) Edwin Markham (DipEd, 1872) — 1st Poet Laureate of Oregon, most known for "The Man with the Hoe" Patricia A. McKillip (B.A. 1971, M.A. 1972) — novelist Sandra McPherson (B.A.) — poet Robert Scoble (attended –1993) — blogger, author, and social media pioneer Amy Tan (B.A. 1972, M.A. 1973) — novelist; author of The Joy Luck Club
Aviation Jason Dahl (B.S. 1980) — airline pilot and United Airlines Flight 93 captain who died in the September 11 attacks
Business Terry Alderete (B.S.) — businesswoman Helder Antunes (B.S.) — senior director, Cisco Systems; chairman of the board, OpenFog Consortium James F. Boccardo (A.B. 1931) — trial lawyer, businessman, and philanthropist Finis Conner (B.A. 1969) — founder, Conner Peripherals and co-founder of Seagate Technology Ron Conway (B.A.) — billionaire angel investor and philanthropist; co-founder and former CEO of Altos Computer Systems Robert Frankenberg — former CEO, Novell Omid Kordestani (B.S. 1984) — senior vice president, Google Brian Krzanich (B.S. 1982) — CEO, CDK Global and former CEO, Intel Corporation Jenny Ming (B.A. 1978) — CEO, Charlotte Russe; former CEO of Old Navy
Gordon Moore (attended 1946–47) — founder of the Intel Corporation and creator of "Moore's law" Ed Oates (B.A. 1968) — co-founder, Oracle Corporation Daniel R. Scoggin (A.B. 1937) — founder and CEO, TGI Fridays Mike Sinyard (B.A. 1973) — founder and CEO, Specialized Bicycle Components James E. Thompson (B.S. 1962) — founder and chairman, Crown Worldwide Group
Film, theatre, and TV Stanley Anderson — actor, known for portraying Drew Carey's father on The Drew Carey Show Coby Bell (B.A. 1997) — actor; best known for his role as NYPD officer Tyrone Davis, Jr. on the NBC drama Third Watch. Retrieved April 28, 2010. Danny Lee Clark — actor, writer and producer; played Nitro on American Gladiators. Retrieved April 28, 2010. Rosanna DeSoto — film actress, best for her role of Connie Valenzuela in the 1987 film La Bamba Yousef Erakat (B.A. 2013) —actor, comedian, vlogger Debrah Farentino — film and television actress; model (attended SJSU; transferred to UCLA) Michael Forest — actor, known for portraying Apollo, on Star Trek Jerry Juhl (B.A. 1961) — head writer and producer for The Muppets and Fraggle Rock Omar Benson Miller (attended 1996–2001) — actor Steve Silver — founder of Beach Blanket Babylon, a popular cabaret show in San Francisco Kurtwood Smith — actor, best known for the role of Red Forman on That '70s Show The Smothers Brothers — comedians Bobbi Starr — pornographic actress Mychal Threets — librarian and media host; host of the YouTube revival of PBS series Reading Rainbow Luis Valdez (B.A. 1964) — Chicano playwright, screenwriter and director best known for his movie La Bamba
Journalism Chauncey Bailey — Oakland Post editor-in-chief; murdered in 2007 Grant Brisbee — San Francisco Giants writer for The Athletic Earl Dotter — photojournalist documenting America's most dangerous jobs Kim Komenich — photojournalist, filmmaker and teacher; Pulitzer Prize winner (1987) John Kouns — photojournalist during the Civil Rights Movement Tony Kovaleski — broadcast journalist (KNTV-TV); multiple Emmy awards; winner of the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (2010) Hassina Leelarathna — Sri Lankan-American journalist Steve Lopez — newspaper columnist, Los Angeles Times; novelist Dave Meltzer —editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Anacleto Rapping — photojournalist and teacher; three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Marcio Sanchez — photojournalist; Pulitzer Prize winner (2021) Steve Starr — photojournalist; Pulitzer Prize winner (1970) David Willman — reporter; Pulitzer Prize winner (2001)
Miscellaneous
Christopher Darden (B.S. 1977) — prosecutor in the O. J. Simpson murder case Dirk Dirksen — godfather of San Francisco punk; tour manager for The Doors, Iron Butterfly, The Supremes and Ray Charles; owner of the Mabuhay Gardens punk club in San Francisco (attended SJSU, but did not graduate) Rob Janoff — graphic designer best known for his creation of the Apple logo Harry W. Jenkins — major general, U.S. Marine Corps Jessica McClintock — fashion designer Anthony Poshepny, aka Tony Poe — legendary CIA paramilitary officer Edward Soriano — lieutenant general, United States Army; , highest ranking Filipino American in the United States military
Politics and government Richard C. Baldwin — associate justice of the Oregon Supreme Court James T. Beall Jr. — California assemblyman, 24th district, and former Santa Clara County supervisor Lee P. Brown — former mayor of Houston; former police commissioner of New York City; former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Ben Nighthorse Campbell (B.A. 1957) — former U.S. senator from Colorado
Albert E. Carter — former U.S. congressman David C. Casas — former mayor of Los Altos and Los Altos city council member Cindy Chavez — former member of San Jose City Council and former vice mayor of San Jose Judy Chirco — San José City councilmember, District 9 William Clark, Jr. — former U.S. ambassador to India Michael Deaver — deputy White House chief of staff for President Ronald Reagan Robert Doerr — former mayor of San Jose, California (1956–1958) Paul Fong — California assemblyman, 22nd district Robert "Bob" Foster — mayor of Long Beach, California; former president, Southern California Edison; former CSU trustee Mike Honda — U.S. representative from California Lou Henry Hoover (Dip.Ed. 1893) — former First Lady of the United States Johnny Khamis — councilmember on the San Jose City Council William Langdon — former associate justice of the California Supreme CourtJohnson, J. Edward (1966). "William H. Langdon", History of the Supreme Court Justices of California, 1900–1950 . San Francisco, CA: Bancroft-Whitney. pp. 131–36. Retrieved July 18, 2017. Linda J. LeZotte — San Jose City councilmember, District 1 Evan Low — California state assemblyman; member of California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Gus Morrison — mayor of Fremont, California (1985–1989; 1994–2004; 2012–2013) Gaylord Nelson — former U.S. senator; governor of Wisconsin; founder of Earth Day Lyn Nofziger — White House advisor to presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan Robert Rivas — 71st speaker of the California State Assembly Ed Rollins — national campaign director for Reagan–Bush (1984) and Mike Huckabee (2007); regular guest political analyst on CNN (attended SJSU; graduated from CSU Chico) Jim Silva — California state assemblyman; former mayor of Huntington Beach Laurie Smith — sheriff, Santa Clara County; first female county sheriff in the history of the state of California Fernando Torres-Gil — first assistant secretary for aging at the Department of Health and Human Services in the Clinton Administration; associate dean of the School of Public Affairs at UCLA Joe Trippi — presidential campaign manager for Howard Dean (2004) Aisha Wahab — California state senator, 10th district Carole Ward Allen — former BART board director, District 4; former Oakland port commissioner Kent Wiedemann — former U.S. ambassador to Cambodia Ken Yeager — politician, member of Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
International politicians
Yao Ching-ling — Taiwanese politician, magistrate of Taitung Amy Khor — Singaporean politician, senior minister of state for transport and senior minister of state for sustainability and the environment Morteza Mohammadkhan — Iranian politician, minister of finance